Blues win as Milner pushes Reds to second
JAMES Milner’s 84th minute penalty earned Liverpool a gritty 2-1 victory at Swansea City yesterday that saw Jurgen Klopp’s side climb to second place in the English Premier League table.
Leroy Fer gave struggling Swansea an eighth-minute lead, but Roberto Firmino equalised early in the second half before Milner claimed the winner following a foul on Firmino by Angel Rangel.
Chelsea ended a three-match winless run with a 2-0 win at Hull City that provisionally lifted Antonio Conte’s men to sixth, while Dimitri Payet’s memorable goal earned West Ham United a 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough.
Despite Liverpool’s fourth straight league win, manager Klopp said: “I was very angry. I have lost a lot of football games, but today [yesterday] makes no sense.
“We were not ready and it is my responsibility. It was not good. The build-up was too static, no movement.
“We were never compact enough and we lost a lot of balls. We got better in the second half and when we let the ball roll it became difficult for Swansea.
“The second half was better, but still not brilliant.”
Liverpool finished the day two points adrift of leaders Manchester City, who visit thirdplaced Tottenham Hotspur today.
Fer broke the deadlock by converting from close range after Borja Baston had knocked down a corner at the back post.
Liverpool then lost Adam Lallana to a groin injury, with Daniel Sturridge coming on.
The visitors levelled in the 54th minute, Firmino directing a header into the bottom-left corner from Jordan Henderson’s lobbed pass after Philippe Coutinho’s freekick struck the wall.
After Rangel bundled into the back of Firmino, Milner chipped his penalty down the middle to condemn Swansea to a fifth defeat in six matches, piling the pressure on manager Francesco Guidolin.
Manchester United great Ryan Giggs and ex-US manager Bob Bradley have been linked with fourth-bottom Swansea this week, but Guidolin turned a deaf ear to the speculation.
“This not my problem,” said the Italian.
“My job is to work with the players and prepare the team for games. I am worried for the table, not my position. It is not good. We need more points.”
Beaten by Liverpool and Arsenal in their previous two matches, Chelsea bounced back with a 2-0 success over Hull at the KCOM Stadium.
Brazilian winger Willian and Spanish marksman Diego Costa scored Chelsea’s goals inside six second-half minutes, both players curling shots into the bottomright corner.
Conte’s men drew level on points with fifth-place Arsenal, who visit Burnley today. —
Ryan Giggs and exUS manager Bob Bradley are linked with Swansea